Armstrong brackets on Pacific??

[fatcow]

I think i got the right name. Its the covers that go over the bilge. Have anyone of you change them over to anything else or just replacing them every couple of years. Looking for a better product to hold the water out.

[welder]

Need to get Jetty wolf on this, I think he found a better product.

I do know Pacific now uses a way better hatch.

[JETTYWOLF]

Are ya ready


Here we go:

No....your title is wrong. Not bracket. Just an Armstrong product called a ""Watertight Compression Deck Plate".
They designed this thang so to cover thier own holes in their own "Armstrong brackets" they make, inwhich no one walks on!

But then decided, "hey, maybe others will like the ease of instalation like we do."

Here's Armstrongs own words:
The Armstrong Watertight Compression Deck Plate offers the boat manufacturer an alternative ( AKA: a cheap way of saving time and money)to the industry's standard hatch cover.

Supposedly a time saving thing to save manufactures $$$$$, that's all.

My personal feeling is on the decks of a working Pacific boat. They don't work!!


Yep, I think Pacific heard us shouting well and loud....But that was the inside fuel wiring Armstrong "compresion" deck plate that Pacific changed to an all aluminum one, that really sweet NOW.
Although, I believe they are still using the Amstrong on the outside engine bracket.

Here's what I did, because I was frustrated and really hating those Armstrong deck plates.

I got with a very helpful AAB.com member who's in the boat building business. And before I RE-painted my boats deck, he made me a perfectly shaped to the size I needed, 5/16th's round aluminum plate. I dripped the holes needed and then I installed it over the inside hole with new screws and new drilled holes, applied huge amounts of black nasty sealant. Tightened it up good, then painted over the WHOLE shibang TWICE!!!

Twice is another story (the paint folks sent me the wrong color) Light gray instead of the darker gray our boats have, so I did a light coat of the light stuff, then when I got the darker stuff I did another coat with the Correct color. End of that story.

NOW, that plate can be taken off with a bit of elbow greeze. But for sake of arguements, it's a permanant fixture to the deck of my boat!

NO MORE LEAKS.

Now, for the outside deck plate in front of the motor, I took the Armstrong off and went and sized up just a good ole Plastic Beckman, "spin-in" deck plate.......

BUT, I found an O-ring that fit in the lid perfectly. I screwed down the deck plate with some good black sealant under it and put the O-ring on the lid, and to this day, NO LEAKS!

Pacific was under the "guise" that this was a great manufacturing time saver, and a good product for people to walk on, kick, spray a hose to, jump on and bake in the sun, and freeze in the cold. It wasn't.

When all it was a manufacturing time saver, for them. (especially the one on the deck inside.)

So....there ya have it. If the person who made my round aluminum piece for me reads this and decides he can do the same for you, Great.

If you can find someone who has access to nice flat plate aluminum and can cut it into a circle perfectly, your in. You don't have to paint over it like I did, but it would be nice.

But the paint for example is $84 a gallon shipped from Washington to Florida, because of the MSDS info and UPS charges alot for possible hazardous shet.

Or you could just try and color match some gray epoxy type paint and add in a little sand/grit. And paint it over to help seal the inside deck plate.

Need more help?

Just PM me.
I'm always here to help and throw my .02 cents into the fountain.

And by the way Fatcow, if ya wanna do nothing at all, but just want new seals, you can call Armstrong and get new ones. They'll need the model # underneath the plate.

If you want "spares" I have my old ones, plus some new seals I bought. For a cheap price, and the shipping I can sell you all the stuff I have.

You have options to those crappy Armstrong "water tight" compression deck plates.